Mississippi News Jocelyn Powell is a non-profit journalist who loves softball but wonders sometimes if she’s doing enough. Powell and her Murrah High School team practice softball on a grass field. She says it is difficult to sprint from one base to the next when it’s not mow. The 15-year old said that it was exhausting and tiring. She also felt frustrated with herself because she didn’t do a good job. Powell is one of approximately 26,000 students in Jackson Public Schools District. The district has been plagued for years by its aging facilities. Officials want to fix this problem with a multi-million dollar bond referendum. Jackson will vote Aug. 7, just before the start of the school year, on the bond issue. In June, the JPS school board approved this referendum and the city council soon followed suit. Voters will decide whether or not to reissue $65million in bond debt. This is the amount that was paid off by the district this year, which has also completed paying off $150 million of bond debt it issued in 2006. While proponents claim that the renewal will not increase Jackson residents’ taxes and other fees, opponents argue that residents would get some tax relief if they voted against it. To pass, the referendum must receive 60 percent of votes. JPS bond vote: Five things you should know. District officials insist that the timing is critical. Sharolyn Miller, JPS Chief Financial Officer, stated that the city council met to discuss the bond issue in June. She said that it was the only way they could address the urgent infrastructure needs. Miller stated that JPS will have $9.5 million less budget this year due to a $6.5million cut by the state. The proposed funds will be used to address problems identified in the recent investigation audit by the Mississippi Department of Education. The results of an 18-month investigation by the department found that 75 percent of accreditation standards were not being followed in the district. One of the violations was related to facilities. This included leaky roofs and buildings not meeting state standards for safe and sanitary schools. Vinson Gibbs expressed doubts about the efforts of the district at the Grove Park Community Center’s Jackson People’s Assembly meeting. Gibbs, a self-described loyal supporter JPS, said he was worried because the district received millions at the time the bond passed. However, today facilities are still in need of repair and the state is trying to take over due to poor academic performance. Vinson stated that they are saying, “Hey, we’ll fix all our problems if you get this money,” to Mississippi Today. “I supported the $150m bond issue in 2006, but the problem is that the have not used their resources properly.” A complete list of projects is available online. Each school would be undergoing some type of repair. Some high schools will need to replace their HVAC units. Science labs will be added to all middle schools and high schools. Many athletic facilities, including a new softball and baseball complex, will also need repair. Bailey APAC Middle School proposes a number of projects, including restroom renovations, a gym floor upgrade, structural repairs, and more. Since the school’s foundation moved under the school, the front entrance has been closed for two years. This has resulted in walls shifting and breaking down, making some rooms unusable. Don McCrackin is the executive director of facilities operations at JPS. He stated that if funds were available, this school could be transformed into a jewel. The 1930s Art Deco building, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places, is filled with intricate architecture despite its crumbling paint and structural problems. Although the district is proud to have this asset, it means that the building’s urgent repairs will be more expensive due to its historic designation. McCrackin stated that uncovered light bulbs in hallways, which MDE cites as an issue in its audit, can’t have had any cover. They must also comply with historical regulations. He said that the auditorium’s wooden seats, which were installed in 1991, are now cracked and peeling due to years of wear and tear. A specific shop is needed to fix the problem. Murrah High school is just a half-mile away and has its own list. McCrackin, who visited the school earlier in the month, gave reporters a tour and highlighted several deficiencies. A five-gallon red bucket weighing five gallons was found in the entry to a men’s restroom. It had been filled with water from a hole in the ceiling. He said that the bathrooms on the first floor were “rather tight” and that the stalls did not have hand rails. The cement in the school’s freshman wing was affected by soil erosion. McCrackin plans to use bond funds to install concrete and sod to redirect soil flow and make the bathrooms more accessible for handicapped people. Powell, a softball player, stated that her school isn’t really that bad, but she cannot help but notice how nicer things are in other schools districts. Powell stated that she feels “wow, it must be nice” when she visits the best schools in the Mississippi region. Mississippi Today interviewed other students with similar concerns. Joseph Jiles (17), a senior at Lanier High School, stated that he wants to be able “to go to school and say, ‘Hey, this toilet is working’ and not have to go into a specific hall because the toilets look messed-up.” Mississippi Today has obtained documents that show that the district’s average age is 55 years. The most recent schools were built in 2010. Four schools were closed by district officials earlier this spring due to rising repair costs and falling enrollment. Brown, French, George elementary schools were chosen because each school had fewer than 200 students. They also faced $2 million to 4 million in updates or repairs. Woodville Heights Elementary School was chosen because it is in dire need of $4 million in repairs. Similar reasons led to the consolidation of elementary schools Barr and Poindexter in 2017. Murrah High school student Maisie Brown stated that students have grown tired of complaining about the state of their schools’ facilities. The 16-year old said, “We know that the schools are older and we know that the schools have been neglected.” “We know that some of us might not have running water in our bathrooms, but it’s like, what number of times do we have before someone actually listens?” Contributing by Alex Rozier
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